I’m Really Glad You’re Here!

I’ll put the kettle on, make yourself comfy and I’ll give you a tour of the studio…

There are two versions of the Dawn Chorus Studio tour: if you’ve only got time for a quick cuppa I’ll show you a few things not to be missed, but if you’ve got time for coffee and cake I’ll take you for a good wander round (you can go straight down to the next section if you want to go for that option).

Not To Be Missed

If you can’t stay too long today you should definitely take a look at these articles before you head off. These are are some of my favourites from the main sections of the Studio:

Check out this joyously colourful quilt from 2015. It’s an original design called Norfolk Bricks. There are links to other posts so you can see where the inspiration came from and how the quilt developed. There’ll be a pattern for this one too – keep a look out for it!

If you want to give hand piecing a try why not download this free pattern? It’s an English paper pieced hexie cushion called Grandma’s Hothouse. It comes with full instructions and links to tutorials too. It’s a modern take on a traditional design. You’ll love it!

Come and meet some of the friendliest quilters around, just take a look at how helpful they were when I was learning how to use a quilt hoop after years of managing without one. I shared my experiences and tips and the comments are wonderful: helpful, encouraging, generous. Quilters are the best!

Enjoy browsing and pop back here for the extended tour soon. (By the way, the quilting page is another great way to find your way around.) Ooh, and don’t forget to sign up for DCS Inspiration! It’s an easy way to keep in touch and I hope we’re going to become good friends.

Ready for the full tour?

Welcome to the Studio, the colourful place for quilters. Gorgeous, saturated colours are the first thing you notice when you arrive here, and on a bright day you’ll need your sunglasses! If you’re looking for something more subdued and minimal you should probably head off to the studio down the road. There’s no free motion quilting (fmq) or computerised machines here, or a fancy long-arm either. What there is is plenty of hand piecing and hand quilting – slower, longer-term quilting where you get to enjoy the ride. The best thing about this place is that there are no rules, and probably no sharp points! That’s the kind of stuff creative dreams are made of.

The Studio’s a friendly, helpful place. If you’re starting out, or are an old hand and want to try new techniques, you’ll find clear tutorials on a range of subjects. There are free patterns to download too, just a few at the moment but there are definitely more to come. DCS patterns have been downloaded thousands of times on Craftsy, so they must be pretty good! Oh, and of course I should mention the visitors to the Studio, really good friends – they’re amazing, so generous with tips and advice – but I’m running away with myself…

What Would You Like to Do?

Find a good read

Discover something inspiring

Try out a new pattern or technique

See some improv quilts

Find out about slow stitching

Join the discussion

Get to know the quilter in the Studio?

Let’s get started!

Some of my favourite articles are linked below to help you find your way around. And if it is improv quilts you want to see, have a look at the ones on the right!

Improv quilt tops – follow the links to find out more.

You can find more book reviews on the blog in the Inspiration category tagged with review.

Find A Good Read

Article

Luke Haynes, Quilter – that gender question Boy did this article get people talking! I opened a can of worms when I questioned why male quilters seem to get more attention than us female quilters. It turned out to be a controversial subject and got picked up by other bloggers and podcasters. Readers got really fired up in the comments. It’s definitely worth a read. Head on over and join the debate.

Colour Confidence

Learn how to design a great colour scheme for your next quilt. This series has some clever tips and ideas to help you grow your colour confidence.

Abigail commented

“Love this post. I really love your tip about looking at the colour cards (which I have plenty of) and matching up fabrics to them (something I would NEVER have thought of!)”

Come and join Abigail and have some fun with colour!

Soak Up Some Inspiration

3 expert quilters share their tips on how to make the most of your quilting time. I spoke to Ann Brooks, Kaja Ziesler and Audrey Easter in a series of enjoyable articles that readers loved. Sue commented

“This is a wonderful post. You managed to draw the information out and present it in such a clear way. Very inspirational.”

The link will take you to the introduction to the series where you’ll find an index to each article – really not to be missed!

Try A DCS Pattern

Try your hand at some slow stitching with this English paper pieced cushion. This was the first DCS pattern to be published and it’s still being downloaded everyday!

MaryAnn said

This is a good direction for me to live my life, moving into more “hexie” work to individualize my work.

MaryAnn took the pattern and made it her own, see what she made in Pillow Talk. How will you personalise yours?

Slow Stitch

Hand stitching isn’t just about the quilt you end up with, it’s about taking pleasure in how you get there. There’s something magical about completely losing yourself in your hand stitching for a few hours. Whether you’re quilting at home on your own or hand piecing in the pub over a coffee with friends – there’s nothing better! There’ll be a whole new section on slow stitching coming soon, but these articles from the blog are a small taster of what’s to come:

Learn New Techniques

You’ll find plenty of tutorials here to help you out, from making Suffolk puffs to foundation piecing flying geese (with a free pattern).There are simple, clear instructions for you to follow, all illustrated with photographs. There are exciting plans afoot for this section of the site including updates, new tutorials and projects. If there’s anything you’d like to see, drop me an email via the link below – I’d love to help if I can!